Developers hope to check hotel into BBC's old Oxford Road home

A hotel and leisure complex is at the heart of plans for a £200m redevelopment of the former BBC Oxford Road studios.

A hotel and leisure complex is at the heart of plans for a £200m redevelopment of the former BBC Oxford Road studios.

Developers Realty Estates also hope to build a supermarket and student accommodation on the five-and-a-half acre site.

Up to 1,000 jobs could be created by the scheme, with an additional 400 construction jobs over a three-year period.

Realty bought the former New Broadcasting House site for around £10m last year.

Their plans also include leisure amenities, car parking and a public space for exhibitions, broadcasts and performances. Demolition and clearance work is expected to begin next month, ahead of approval of plans.

Shahram Sakhdari, head of developments for Realty Estates, said: “Initial discussions with Manchester council have been extremely positive, and we look forward to working with them and other stakeholders prior to submitting a planning application in due course.”

Realty has been working closely with economic development consultancy New Economy and technology and regeneration consultancy Adroit Economics.

Dr Alexander Roy, head of research at New Economy, said: “This development could bridge the gap between the learning corridor and financial and professional companies. Manchester’s flourishing media sector will also be able to tap into the corridor’s infrastructure, as well as offering an ideal hub for specialist science industries which will enable more interaction and networking between universities and local businesses.”

The BBC was based at the site from 1976. Thirty-five years of broadcasting came to an end when the corporation moved to MediaCity in¿Salford last year.

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